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Cane Brothers #2

So Not Meant To Be

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From author Meghan Quinn, comes a fresh take on a romantic comedy classic, When Harry Met Sally. This steamy, laugh-out-loud, enemies to lovers romance is about an annoyingly handsome coworker and the woman who refuses to be charmed by him.

Am I friends with JP Cane?

Ha! That's laughable.

Besides the fact that he’s adopted some far-fetched notion from the movie When Harry Met Sally that says men and women can't be friends and work together, it’s safe to say we're not friends. He's annoyingly loud, obnoxiously handsome, and has made an art out of poking all my hot buttons . . . multiple times a day.

So you can imagine how disgruntled I am when I not only have to fly to San Francisco with him for work, but stay in the same penthouse. Yup, we're sharing the same air, twenty-four-seven. We're talking full-fledged working roommates.

The man doesn't know what it means to wear a shirt, thrives off protein bars, and you guessed it, moans loud enough for people to believe he's Meg Ryan in a restaurant.

Spoiler Alert: I WON'T be having what he's having.

Tack on his continuous flirting and his polished good looks, and I'm caught staring down the barrel of a seductive temptation that makes it hard for me to sleep at night.

But guess who can control herself? This girl.

Because if there is one thing I know for certain, it's that JP Cane and I are so not meant to be.

512 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 7, 2022

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About the author

Meghan Quinn

119 books35.5k followers
Like me on FB: https://www.facebook.com/meghanquinna...

When I was in high school I occasionally read books but was consumed by other teenage things so I didn't take the time to appreciate a good book on a cloudy day, wrapped up in a blanket on the couch. It wasn't until I received a Kindle for Christmas one year that my world completely flipped upside down. When looking for books I came across the Contemporary Romance genre and was sold and I haven't turned back since.

You can either find my head buried in my Kindle, listening to inspiring heart ripping music or typing away on the computer twisting and turning the lives of my characters while driving my readers crazy with anticipation.

​I currently reside in beautiful Colorado Springs where the sun is always shining and there is a trail waiting to be hiked on every corner. I share a lovely and warm home with the love of my life and my five, four-legged children.

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5 stars
32,602 (31%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 8,388 reviews
Profile Image for _book_topia_.
672 reviews73 followers
June 12, 2022
One word. Kelsey.

She ruined the whole book for me. Where as book 1 had some hilarious moments to balance the broody Huxley. This one didn’t. It had Kelsey.

She was a judgemental biatch when it came to JP, and from the outside it was so unwarranted. JP deserved so much better. And if I was him I would have left her in that restaurant with her shitty attitude and gone on a lads night with Helix.

She had a spoilt brat complex, and I didn’t even feel sorry for her when she felt insecure because she wasn’t as pretty/cool as Lottie. She had no personality to compare to her sister and it showed.

I would happily read about JP again, but with a woman who adored him and treated him with the respect and love he so clearly deserves, he’s an absolute sweetheart.

The story felt weak, there wasn’t really a point other than Kelsey’s insecurities and JP’s love at first sight. It was all just kind of meh.
Profile Image for Jenifer Briggs.
1,458 reviews176 followers
June 2, 2022
I absolutely adore Meghan as both an author and a human being (she's pretty awesome if I do say so myself) and I was definitely looking forward to this book especially with JP & Kelsey's reactions to each other in Hux & Lotties book.. buuuut I didn't like Kelsey. At all. She was judgy, thought the worst in JP with no solid evidence to back it up, and he spent damn near the entire book trying to prove to her that she could count on him.. and she just kept expecting the worst.

Honestly JP is the reason why I gave this three stars -- he is sensitive, borderline depressed, can't get his brothers to really hear him, and the girl he's crushing on thinks he's a vile human being. This man is so freaking sweet and he listens to what Kelsey wants and goes above and beyond to do that for her, but because she's so obsessed with finding love, she overlooks what's glaring right in front of her. I just wanted to bundle up poor Jonah in my arms and keep her away from him.

That's not to say I didn't like some parts of kelsey and her relationship with JP.. I don't think she was a horrible human being but her assumptions of who JP was just really irritated me. She never tried to get to know him, and she kept going on other dates which kept breaking his heart. I just really wanted to shake some sense into this woman. Damn near everyone in the book was telling her that Jonah isn't the man she thinks he is, but does she listen?! Not a chance. Ugh.

I did really enjoy the ending, and these two were really cute together ,I just wish we didn't spend 80% of it with Kelsey being judgy to someone who never deserved it. Jonah wasn't a manwhore, he wasn't an asshole (ok, he had his moments, but don't we all?) But he just wanted Kelsey to see him the way he saw her.

I'm in no way trying to be rude to this author because she is one of the absolute best authors out there, but this one just wasn't my favorite.

**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions **
Profile Image for selin.
15 reviews
October 24, 2023
best thing about this book was it’s name, because it fits so damn well.

i can’t even understand how this is the same author who wrote the first book, lottie and huxley’s personalities were so good, they were mature, yet knew how to have fun and communicate; where in this one we see a complete opposite situation. the only reason i have finished this book i felt so bad for jp that, i needed to see him happy.

if you loved fmc of this book, please do not read this review because i don’t think i can hold myself when i am writing my thoughts of her 💗

i feel so bad when i write bad things about books but this dumbass deserves every bad thing i will say so i am sorry but i will whine about her so bad.

kelsey gardner: if kelsey has left zero haters in the whole world, i am dead. if i was given a single chance that i can slap a fmc of all the books i have ever read, this girl would have a bruised face. i can totally understand that if a girl wants to have her happy ever after with a boy, or she is insecure about herself, but the way she acts because of these facts was.. childish. annoying. foolish. rude. selfish. insufferable.

at first she didn’t bother me so much because she wasn’t obligated to like jp romantically, so she had every right to run from him. the time when i got started to get itchy about her was when she was stating her thoughts about huxley, her sister’s husband. of course it is a great thing to like your sister’s husband but the way she talks was.. fishy? i mean she compared jp’s eyes to huxley’s, constantly talked about how much of a great man he is, smiled and softened her voice every time huxley called her.. and the way she thinks so high of huxley but so low of lottie? she hated how much she felt insecure because she always thought that lottie was hotter, she even said that lottie was always in love with her work and herself was the one who was in love with the idea of love, so she thought that lottie finding love before her was unfair? she is her sister. HER SISTER.

okay now the real thing that made my skin crawl, her attitude towards jp. you. cannot. know. someone. in. a few. weeks. she constantly assumed that jp was only interested in sex, he wasn’t a relationship guy, he was shallow, superficial, doesn’t care about love; she even admitted that she wants to think badly about jp. she evaluated her other dates with how much they are similar to jp, so if they are a lot different then him, she liked them.

if these are not enough for you to despise her i will give some examples of her actions; when jp finally had enough with her shit and stopped talking to her, she blocked his way out, clunged to his leg, pulled his shorts and made his dick to land on her face. she tried to be his ‘friend’ and when he was fed up with her, she sit his lap and prevented him to walk away, refusing to get up till he talks to her. she called herself desperate for a man’s touch; and after her and jp become a couple, there was a time that jp had to deal with some seriously bad work, so he couldn’t be able to make love with her, and she cried, called herself so ‘vanilla’ that ofc he didn’t wanted to do anything with her. i don’t even know how i was able to read almost 500 pages with this waste of breath.

jp cane: i despised him so much at the first of the book that i didn’t even know if i would be able to finish it, but what a plot twist, he was the one that made me want to read towards the end.

the way he was so insistent on flirting with kelsey even though she didn’t wanted it was so annoying to read at first, but by the time he understood his mistake and started to change, leaving her the space she wanted, and had a really good personality development. we saw that he was scared to show his love as it is, because he was afraid of getting hurt. he was hiding behind his jokes to escape from that feeling, but by the time he understood that it was a wrong coping mechanism, so he started to be more open and honest about his feelings towards kelsey. he tried to make her comfortable, feel loved, protected her, helped her, complimented her, even when he was mad at her, he waited her to get to her car safely, took her to her favorite childhood restaurant, understood that she needed someone to take her out of her comfort zone; but all kelsey did was thinking worst of him.

the way he got so sad and disappointed that the way kelsey acted towards him got my heart so broken that i prayed that he would be happy even though it would mean that he will be with kelsey. we are talking about a man who gets tears because polar bears’ ribs are showing due to their hunger, and opened a charity for saving pigeons god’s sake. of course i want to see him happy, he even designed a tuxedo for his favorite pigeon 🥹

so, jp made me read this book but he wasn’t enough for me to give more than 2 stars, but kelsey was so insufferable that i wanted to give her -1 stars, so i decided to make an arithmetic average and give it 1 star. because i seriously think that no one should suffer by reading this book. i am happy for you if you liked this, however, i think i will forever be traumatized by kelsey’s immaturity level.

oct 23: goodreads should allow us give minus stars. rtc.

oct 20: having zero time to read 🤺 updating goodreads anyways because i read 5 pages per day 🤺
Profile Image for Meghan Quinn.
Author 119 books35.5k followers
Read
June 9, 2022
I’ve dreamt of this, of this very moment, where I could own this woman. I don’t want it to end; I want it to last. I want to know that I can drive her crazy.

AVAILABLE NOW: http://mybook.to/SoNotMeantToBe

Profile Image for Jema Brown.
40 reviews
June 8, 2022
Is there something in the water?

It seems that a lot of authors have been written fluff lately and Megan had joined them. To say this book was bad was an understatement. I truly don't see why the 5 stars reviews because I had to force myself to read it. The book was too long, therefore, the author had to create unnecessary drama to prolong the story. Let's dissect the main characters! Kelsey was a miserable, insecure shrew who couldn't see what was right in front of her. She was a narcissist who thinks that she was all that when deep down, she was an insecure, desperate little girl who wanted to find Prince charming. She had no concept of self awareness and thought that she was perfect.
JP on the other hand, was somewhat ok, yet very emotionally unstable. The man could not control his emotions and lash out when things don't go his way. Still, with his shortcomings, I feel like he was too good for this shrew.
The other characters were interesting but they were too involved in each other's lives.
It seems like Megan wanted to recreate a fun version of when Harry met Sally. But she could not have done a worse job. Kelsey was nothing like Sally. While Sally was stuck in her ways, she was a confident woman and knew when to walk away when she was not happy. Kelsey's podcast was lame and she was low key crushing on her brother in law. This whole fight with JP at the restaurant, her holding to his leg and refusing to let him go, and lastly sitting on him because she no longer to be ignored were all childish to me. The humor felt short and was truly was not happy with this book. You can pass on this and read some of Megan's old store when she was writing stories and not fluff. And lastly for heaven's sake, we don't need no 500 pages to tell a story. As a reader, I should crave for more instead of begging for a train wreck to be pver
Profile Image for siff ♡.
139 reviews1,106 followers
January 4, 2024
➵ 1 star

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙩, 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙤𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙄’𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙨. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙄’𝙢 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙞𝙣 𝙖𝙬𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙚.”

If you liked this book I’d suggest you just kept scrolling, or else you might become a bit offended <33

I basically dragged my ass through this book. It was so extremely boring, and so extremely predictable. And god the pace of this book so fucking slow. 300 pages in and nothing emotional had happened between the characters. I basically just skimmed the last 150 pages, because I just found it so uninteresting.
This was really a disappointment, since the first book in this series was so good, and made me so happy. But the second book ughh it was awful, so painfully boring. This book is literally second-hand embarrassment at it’s finest, goshh some scenes made me cringe so fucking hard, it was terrible. And omg the characters as a couple really serves the title SO NOT MEANT TO BE. My man Jp deserved so much better than Kelsey, she was so mean to him and for what??? He was so funny and sweet, and she was just insulting him the whole time wtf🔪🔪🔪 She was so incredibly judgmental, I think she thought she was fortune teller, because apparently she thought she knew everything about Jp, and all that “he’s not husband material” girl bffr YOU DON’T EVEN KNOW HIM. And then every time she learns something knew about him she’s like “I didn’t think someone like you would do/like that” PLEASE STFU that’s the dumbest shit I’ve every heard, of course you didn’t because you never even thought of getting to know the man🤯

𝗝𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗵 𝗣𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗲 I honestly liked Jp, he was sweet, funny and respectful. But dude TAKE A HINT😫 he was trying so hard, wayyy too hard. He was instantly friend-zoned by Kelsey, but he just kept trying. And I get that he thought he could treat her right and all that crap, but come on get a grip. But fr tho, he was way too good to Kelsey, she just kept insulting him, and gosh he tried so hard to get her to like him, I actually felt kinda bad for him. NOW he did do some things were the second-hand embarrassment really slapped me in the face. First of he faked an orgasm on their first “date” and OHMYGOSH I would’ve run for my life if I was Kelsey in that situation. The ick I got in the that scene was violent, WHO DOES THAT????🥴🥴

𝗞𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗻𝗲𝗿 I don’t even know what so say about her. She was one of the most pick me, choose me, love me fmc I’ve ever read about. She was sooo annoying, and she had absolutely nothing positive to say. She was constantly complaining and whining about EVERYTHING. The way she was constantly insulting Jp, and how she thought she had him all figured out, spoiler alert; you can’t figure someone out if you don’t know anything about them. The way she was almost jealous about her sister finally finding love🙄🥱 Kelsey didn’t think it was fair because her sister Lottie, was the independent woman and all that crap, and Kelsey was the girl who who read books about sweet and cute romance, and had a podcast about love. Kelsey was so fucking desperate after love, and all that “meeting the right person” shit.

𝗔 𝘀𝗰𝗲𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗹;
Miss girl (Kelsey) literally clung to Jp’s leg because he wouldn’t talk to her (chocking, after she kept insulting him), then she pulled his shorts in attempt to stop him, but she just pulled his shorts down instead, then he fell on top of her, and his dick was in her face (he wasn’t wearing underwear) EW EW EWWW, it was sooo awkward and cringe I can’t even 😩😩 WHY WOULD A GROWN ASS WOMAN WRAP HERSELF AROUND A MANS LEG LIKE SHE’S FIVE YEARS OLD??? ughh that’s so disgusting.
Profile Image for kash.
177 reviews275 followers
June 28, 2022
2.5⭐️
i’ve spent all month trying to get through this book with hopes that it’d get better but it just…didn’t. 😭 kelsey was INSUFFERABLE and spent the entire book making baseless assumptions about JP that i just didn’t understand. i honestly wanted JP to do better which says A LOT bc we root for the fmc first in this household.
JP saved the book for me, but even he gave me the ick sometimes so idk. 😭 i also hated how huxley and lottie would literally be in a room full of people talking about boning each other like??? it was very uncomfy idk idk idk this one just icked me out a lot and felt overly long and i’m hella sad about it. 😭 hopefully i like breaker’s book.
Profile Image for Christy.
4,261 reviews35.2k followers
July 28, 2022
3.5 stars

I was so excited to read this book, as we already met JP and Kelsey in ‘Not So Meet Cute’, and let me tell you… there were parts of this I absolutely loved. And every part of that was JP. He is a Meghan Quinn hero I adored. Truly, one of her best. But Kelsey… I really wanted to like her, and some of the time she was tolerable, but dang. There were other times she just took me out of the story with her behavior. JP deserved better IMO, but thankfully by the end I was mostly happy with them together.
Audio book source: Audible
Story Rating: 3.5 stars
Narrators: Stella Hunter & Aaron Shedlock
Narration Rating: 4 stars
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Length: 13h 23m
Profile Image for Heather Adores Books.
1,347 reviews1,391 followers
October 24, 2023
4⭐
Series ~ Cane Brothers, #2
Others in the series ~ A Not So Meet Cute
Publication date ~ June 7, 2022
Page count ~ 466
Audio length ~ 13 hours 23 minutes
Narrators ~ Aaron Shedlock, Stella Hunter
POV ~ dual 1st
Featuring ~ coworkers to enemies~ish to friends to lovers, forced proximity, slow burn, minimal steamage

Kelsey & JP
Kelsey was really mean to him in the beginning and I was getting really mad at her. Slowly she started being nicer, but I wish it didn't take so long.

Oh JP I love you. So misunderstood and a closet do gooder, I mean pigeons need saving too. I do wish he made her wait longer before telling her his name because I liked all the guesses she made. I think there was too much talk about his past sexual encounters too.

"I hang up the phone and then go to my room to pick up my book, a romcom about three siblings who go back to their hometown to throw an anniversary party for their parents" good stuff to give a nod to her other book ~ The Reunion. Also, it was fun that Kelsey had a podcast that interviewed characters in other books by Meghan.

Overall, I didn't love it as much as book 1, but still enjoyed it well enough. Up next is Breaker's (what kinda name is that) story.

Series notes:
A standalone, but obviously Lottie and Huxley from book 1 are heavily involved since they're the sister and brother of these two.

Narration notes:
I did not listen to this one, but am just giving the info above for reference.

Connect with me ➡ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter
Profile Image for Matilda.
269 reviews2,652 followers
Read
June 28, 2022
if you ever want to torture someone, force them to read the prologue of this

when i tell you these are ACTUAL quotes from the intro:

“Kelsey, it’s a known fact men and women can’t have a working relationship and be friends at the same time.”

I snort so hard I spray snot on the design plans in front of me. Casually, I wipe away the droplets with my hand.

“Babe, I can smell the sexual chemistry, and because it’s so palpable, so thick, so . . . musky—”
“Eww, it’s not musky.”

➟ “Are you feverish? Is that what’s happening? You’ve come down with something and this is how you act?”
“I’m a specimen of health. You should know that. You check me out enough.”
“I do not.”
I don’t.

➟ He guffaws, a sound so annoying that my molars grind together. “Why do you think my sleeves are rolled up right now?”
[...]
He leans in close. “Because I know how much they turn you on.”

“A man and a woman who find each other attractive and who work together will never be able to be friends. There will always be a giant elephant in the room, and that elephant’s name is Sex. It’s basic human math, Kelsey. We all need to climax, and when we find someone who’s attractive, we want that person to help us climax.”

➟ “And if I had any romantic inkling toward you, I wouldn’t be wearing this simple, almost homely blouse that does nothing to show off my perfect, bouncy breastsAnd I wouldn’t be wearing underwear, either, on the off chance that you pulled me on top of this conference table and spread my legs for a small taste.

➟ “Now, if you don’t mind, I have an appointment to stuff my mouth full of meat.

Profile Image for BookishByTammi.
248 reviews1,990 followers
June 7, 2023
JP was definitely a highlight in this book but my god Kelsey was insufferable, if she wasn’t being rude she was being insecure.
I don’t believe you need to be a perfect person to get into a relationships we all have issues but damn girl get some self esteem, there’s no reason the 3rd act break up should have gone like that.
I laughed out loud when she asked her sister if shes being ridiculous because YES hun! A 2 week break up because he didn’t cuddle you in bed and you felt insecure is ridiculous.

Its funny how all the parts of Kelsey & JP’s personalities that I didn’t like the author addressed so it was clear they were written this way on purpose. i.e JP telling breaker “if you haven’t noticed, I’m not very good at controlling my emotions” when I spent the whole book thinking this man throws tantrums like a child, up and down moods that effect him and people around him.

Kelsey knowing she suffers with really bad insecurities and being desperate for love. She literally calls herself desperate at one point and I’m pretty sure I remember JP saying that to her as well. I just think long term in real life, her insecurities paired with his flip flop moods is not a match made in heaven

On a brighter note, I did somewhat like parts of this story. The passive aggressive banter between the 2 MC’s was hilarious to me (until I realised Kelsey was actually taking it to heart and he had to apologise for upsetting her)
JP was the sweetest in the relationship, he fell first and hard. The dates he planned were so cute and thoughtful.

An average 3⭐️ read
Profile Image for Dilushani Jayalath.
1,000 reviews212 followers
May 27, 2023
I still can’t believe the UTTER DISRESPECT this book had towards us who work in the heritage field!!! I am still mad. I have to work my life fighting people like Kelsey who think old buildings should be ripped apart and made eco-friendly modern. I have so many arguments to back me up but I won’t go into it.
The only reason this didn’t get a 2 star was because of JP and Kazoo. The damn pigeons saved this book. And no, don’t ask me the context behind it. Just know that a man who saves pigeons can steal my heart here after.
Profile Image for Sonia.
1,120 reviews1,643 followers
January 7, 2023
4.75 enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, forced proximity, Sleepless in Seattle Stars

I laughed, giggled, swooned, fanned my face, and reread WAYYY too many scenes (and tons of highlighting). I needed a nice, lighthearted book, and this totally delivered. Yes, I looked like a crazy person when I was giggling while driving or cleaning (audiobooks are the best), but, my gosh, it was sooooo worth it 😅😂.

JP tells Kelsey that they can’t be friends… why? Well, because they’re too attracted to each other, and according to When Harry Met Sally, people that’re attracted to each other just CANNOT be friends. Of course, this pushes Kelsey‘s buttons and it only increases the banter between them. But they need to be civil to each other because their siblings are getting married (Huxley and Lottie from A Not So Meet Cute). Kelsey wants a serious relationship and she doesn’t believe JP could ever be in one.

Huxley tells JP that he needs to go to San Francisco with Kelsey for the next two weeks in order to solidify a deal that involves her Sustainably Organized business. Considering that JP is Kelsey‘s boss, he’s forced to go. Let the forced proximity begin 😈.

What I liked/loved:
—the tension 🔥. Sure, this is a slow burn book, but there’s so much tension that builds up. As soon as the book opens, JP and Kelsey have palpable tension 👀

—the banter. They have some of the best banter lol. When they volley back-and-forth, it totally made me giggle and sometimes fan my face because it was 🔥👀
“The only bullshit thing between us is that spiel you just laid out. Deny it all you want, but I know you want me. The quicker you accept that, the better you will feel.” Despite the heavy beat of my heart, I know it’s my time to turn my head, and when I do, our noses nearly touch. With all the bravado I can muster, I say, “The sooner you realize I’m out of your league . . . the better you will feel.”


—the times I giggled/laughed. I. Was. Dying 😂. From the “dragging” spider monkey scene to the ☕️ bag scene to the n!ppl€ poking scene to the pigeon donation scenes (and more) I couldn’t help but laugh

—the smexxy times🔥. I loooove how JP’s dom’s side came out. I mean. Jeeeezus, The way he ordered Kelsey to pl€asure herself even before they kissed was just 🥵. The airplane scene and the pool scene will live rent free in my brain forever. It’s slow burn, 71% for a home run and we only get one full home run, but everything leading up to it and following it was scrumptious🤤

—the amount of Os JP gives Kelsey. Yes, I said it 💁🏻‍♀️. I can always appreciate a man that makes sure his woman is satisfied, and JP does this in spades 🥵🔥. Plus, the edging/pool scene alone deserves a medal 💅😉

—JP’s confidence 😮‍💨
“And there’s your problem,” JP says, leaning in. “A perfect gentleman isn’t going to make you come the way I can.”


—the dirty talk. Oh LAWD jeeeezus 🔥👀. JP has such a dirty mouth 🥵 and he makes her have one too

—the allusions/references. From Sleepless in Seattle to Henry Cavill building a computer, I appreciated them all 👏🏻

—the Meant To Be Podcast. This was such a sweet addition to the book. I loved seeing some of my past favorite MQ couples make appearances and talk about how they met 🥰🥰🥰. Now I wanna read the ones I haven’t read 👀

—the fact that JP was into her before she was😅. I like seeing the man squirm once in a while, which leads me to…

—the OMD- let the hero squirming/claiming begin 😈

—the texting and emails, especially when he’s trying to make an appointment to stare at each other 😂😅

—the ending 🥹

What I wanted more of:
—I would’ve liked there to be more smexxy home runs. We gets lots of appetizers and treats, but sometimes, a girl wants a full meal 🤷🏻‍♀️. The snacks helped me feel satiated (but not full 😏)

—I would’ve liked it if JP had been more claimy and acted sooner 🤷🏻‍♀️. I understood why he did wasn’t, but it doesn’t meant I didn’t want him acting like a caveman

⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing
-OM- h goes on dates with OM1. They kiss but it’s like whatever. Then she goes on another date with OM2. At this point, h and H haven’t even kissed (but he’s demanded her to make herself O in front of him )
-H dates OW. They kiss since they’re taking it slow
-edging/praise k!nk/subtle D/s which includes aftercare
-no c0nd0ms/h’s on bc and they’re both clean (he’s always used protection before)
8 reviews
June 10, 2022
I was looking for a new RomCom to read and I was going to download A not so meet cute the first book in this series. Come to find out I had already read it last year and didn’t remember reading it. That should have been my first clue. I thought okay I’ll give this a go since I read the first, not knowing it would be a 500 page mess. I don’t like giving bad reviews for books but this needs to be said. There is no way this should have gone on for 500 pages. I felt like I was reading the same whiny lines from the Kelsey over and over again. She was the most annoying unlikeable character I’ve read in a while, maybe ever. It’s okay for you not to like characters but she was really the worst.
She was set out for most of the book hating JP for no real reason. Yeah he was cocky, but he was actively trying to get HER attention for the entire book. She was so worried about him being a player but he wasn’t going around sleeping with everyone like she claimed he was. He went on what two dates with Genesis? It was evident to all the other characters too the he wanted her. She was such bitch to him. I could see her not wanting to date him for professional reasons. But she crosses that line with how completely awful she was. IRL this dude would have checked out right after their awful blind date. I liked JP but he was just as bad as Kelsey with his attitude and temper. He went from being annoying but in a cute way, to a whiny douche. However he was far more likable than Kelsey. She had unrealistic expectations and was living in a fantasy land in her own head. Supporting characters were lacking as well. All Lottie does is talk about sex. Breaker was decent though. The backstory was undeveloped. They went to San Fran for a work project they started to tell us about but said nothing of it after. Other than JP defending Kelsey for being under qualified. I am unfortunately a person who likes to read a book until the end. But I wish I had stopped. It really was a waste of my time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for moniqueॱ◌̥*⃝̣ ⋆.
186 reviews197 followers
June 2, 2023
3,5/5★

I really thought that the third-act conflict of book 1 was annoying but boy I was not prepared for the one in this book. It irritated me so much and it was literally the most unnecessary conflict ever. It could’ve all been avoided with better communication on both sides and also the WILL to communicate instead of shutting down completely.

That was in general, the whole problem of their relationship. They both seriously need to learn how to communicate their feelings better and I’m glad that they were FINALLY able to do so at the VERY end but it was just so frustrating how all of their back and forth, miscommunication, misunderstandings and drama could’ve been avoided if they just communicated with one another!!

Obviously there wouldn’t be any plot if they knew how to communicate from the beginning but for it to go on like that for 90% of the book was just so annoying and infuriating if you ask me. I just wanted to smash my head against the wall at least 20 times while reading this book.

It also took me a while until I was able to warm up to the MMC. He was so freaking annoying at the beginning and not in a cute or funny way but more in a jerk kind of way. He really wasn’t that likeable to me but luckily at the 35% mark, I slowly started to warm up to him and at the end liked him very much!

I loved the FMC! I can relate to her in many aspects of her personality! She’s pretty much a hopeless romantic with high standards who’s looking for love throughout the course of this novel and the way she dreams and thinks about the perfect relationship… I could relate so badly!!! But she also annoyed me quite a bit at the end during their conflict. I get that she has insecurities and all that but if she would’ve communicated her feelings with JP better then I believe things would’ve went more smoothly between them.

Now, I’m not saying that I dislike their relationship or anything like that! I still love them together and they’re so freaking adorable when they want to be. They had a lot of chemistry and tension since the beginning which I liked and the banter between these two was also pretty funny! If only it wasn’t for that main issue of communication then these two would’ve been perfect but sadly… it went the way it did…

Comedy-wise this book had once again many funny and hilarious elements and moments to it that I really enjoyed and had me laughing my ass off! We love that!!
The spicy scenes in this book were also once again giving what they needed to give, which we love!!
Plot was pretty much nonexistent if you ask me but it was still an enjoyable read.

Overall, definitely not my favourite in the series and will probably stay as the least favourite because I believe that book 3 will be the best out of them all and I’m honestly more than excited to get to that one!!
Profile Image for Kate V.
1,590 reviews248 followers
June 21, 2022
2 - 2.5 stars!

Did I read the same book as everyone else? It took a lot out of me to get through this book. One, it’s pretty tropey and two, Kelsey and JP were SO nasty to each other through 70% of the book. I get it, they each had internal trauma and struggles but dang…they took enemies too far for me. Not only that I felt like they were childish in their cutting remarks and actions. I liked JP ok but Kelsey was so judgmental and uppity. JP is why I’m even giving this story stars.

I love an enemies-to-lovers romance but the MCs legitimately despised each other for more than half the story lol. So when they finally did ‘fall’ for each other I felt like I got whiplash. O nowwwwww you want to play house? O-kay.

The sex though? That was hot. The only time they didn’t hate each other…but I definitely would classify this as a slow burn. The sexual tension was there in all its hate form glory.

The writing and some of the humor was seriously great even if a little ridiculous. But the MCs…specifically Kelsey…were annoyingly juvenile and bitter. I am interested in the first book in this series…Lottie and Huxley. Maybe that one won’t make me want to break my Kindle.
Profile Image for Rebecca (life's chaotic catching up).
395 reviews1,264 followers
July 23, 2022
JP is the only reason I’m giving this book 3 stars! And baby bro Breaker, he’s adorable. BUT…. Kelsey is absolutely the worst FMC I have ever read!! She sure as hell doesn’t deserve JP who is the absolute sweetest cinnamon roll ever, he only ever was rude bc Kelsey’s mission in life seemed to be kicking this poor man in the balls repeatedly. She was such a judgmental shrew to him and so insecure and she projected all of her crap on to JP instead of dealing with it like a grown up. She is in a word insufferable. I still enjoyed bc of JP, Breaker and other characters but she kinda ruined the story. Will definitely read about Breaker though and hopefully we get a better FMC.
Profile Image for Sanyah(Taylor’s Version).
220 reviews250 followers
July 18, 2022
My favorite part of this entire book was JP and Kelsey dancing to "Wildest Dreams" by TAYLOR SWIFT.

“We’re slowly swaying to the music, an instrumental version of Taylor Swift’s Wildest Dreams, but the way he’s twirling me makes the room a blur, and I can’t focus on anything but us and only us.”

They both each had a date and funny enough, their dates knew each other so Kelsey and JP were ignored and ditched by their own dates. JP was so in love with Kelsey and of course, Kelsey was in a denial.

I actually have another favorite part, JP watched Animal Planets and donated thousands of dollars to save the pigeons and later on to polar bears. That's my type(favorite billionaire)

“Because you’re drunk,” Breaker says. “Spending fifty grand on pigeons seems like a good idea to you.”
“It was only twenty grand altogether. Fuck, should it have been fifty?”



Another example:

“I cry about the polar bears, watching them all over again.
I send an email to the pigeon place, inquiring about Kazoo.”


Kazoo is the pigeon he wanted to adopt.

JP has been supporting the pigeon shelter so they named it after him,I love that for him!

“I slowly swallow and say, “The pigeon shelter I’ve been supporting is now renaming its building the JP Cane Pigeon Rescue. The JPCPR. Has a fucking great ring to it. There’s some press going out next week about it. They asked if I’d show up for the dedication of the new name, and do you know how pathetic I am?”
Profile Image for ritika.
472 reviews290 followers
Read
March 12, 2023
DNF @ 34%

you know what sucks, i actually thought kelsey was the only sane character in A Not So Meet Cute, and i liked her better than her sister. naturally, i held her in high regard.
HAHAHAHAHAHA well i guess joke's on me, because imagine my horror when i discovered that not only is she more irritating than her sister, but she is somehow worse than her sister when it comes to personal space and just letting things go.

allow me to present 3 instances where i should've DNF'ed, and my final breaking point.
exhibit A: the prologue
I have no idea why JP is droning on about this attraction between us. It’s not as though I’ve led him on. I’m a firm believer in love. Therefore, I’m looking for love. Not a fling, not a sexy one-night stand. I’m looking for my soulmate, just like the soulmates on my semi-popular podcast. I want forever.

the "semi-popular" podcast kelsey's talking about is called the "meant to be podcast", where she talks to couples (aka couples from previous meghan quinn books) who are married, and how they all knew that their s/o was the one™️. *gag*. not only is this 26 year old woman, who owns her own business (also wtf is a sustainable organiser i mean we're all gonna die anyways just let us all speed up the process) in southern california, dreaming about some knIghT iN shIniNg aRmoUr insta-love romance whatever, but she also turned it into a whole ass hobby? that's like me saying i work at a nuclear powerplant, and on my downtime, i conduct experiments with uranium-238 isotope. this should've been a red flag, but i am colour blind and stupid.

exhibit B: chapter 3
kelsey and jp both sign up for the same blind dating service-kelsey because at this point she's just a fucking loser lusting after her sister's boyfriend, and jp because he lost a basketball game to breaker. obviously, they end up matching with each other (because a computer algorithm gave them the highest ever accuracy score of 97% so it's meant to be), and kelsey thinks jp has enough braincells to hack into the app (mind you, jp is a business guy not a tech guy who would actually go to such extreme lengths) and pair them together because at one point, he was obsessed with dating kelsey. they end up arguing, so ✨creatively✨, and if i had to read that horribleness, then so do you.
“You’re really not. I might ask for a refund. Hypercritical fishwife isn’t what I call a good first date or a match, for that matter.”
“Fishwife?” I ask.
“Yup. Already called you a shrew, thought fishwife would be a good second option.”
“Yeah . . . well, you’re a . . . you’re a . . .”
“A what?” he asks, his grin growing even wider.
Think, Kelsey, think of a good name.
“A shortsighted boob.”
He tosses his head back, laughter erupting from his lips. “That’s the best you could come up with? A shortsighted boob? Shit.” He wipes at his eyes as I grow more furious by the second.


exhibit C: chapter 9
I don’t really register that I have shorts in my hand. All I know is that I have a hold of something and it’s time to pull.
That’s exactly what I do.
I yank on his shorts so hard that he stumbles forward, and because I’m holding on to his other leg, he can’t catch his balance.
[...]
It was never my intention to anger him more, nor was it my intention to cause him to fall.
But I accomplished both things . . . whilst pantsing him at the same time.
Yup, just like that, with a slight yank, those elastic-banded shorts of his slide right off his narrow hips and down his legs, causing him to stumble even more.
I cry out in horror because, good God, there are loose shorts in my hand.
[...]
And then, with a big crash to the floor, he falls on top of me, pillowing my face with what I can only assume is his stomach.
“Jesus fuck,” he says.
I open my eyes and come face to face with man scrotum.
A man’s freaking scrotum!
“Ahhh!” I scream and swat at his leg. “Your penis is on my face. Your penis is on my face.”
[...]
“Dear God! It’s on my nose! Your genitals are resting on my freaking nose!”
“I fucking know!” he yells back. “But I can’t get up because you’re still holding on to me.”
“I’ve been tea-bagged,” I cry out in horror, his penis still rubbing along my nostrils.
“Let the fuck GO, KELSEY!”
As if I finally realize what’s happening, I release all my limbs and he climbs off me. I scramble up against the wall and hold my hand—still clutching his shorts—in front of my face.
“I’ve been defiled.”
“You’ve been defiled?” he retorts. “I’m the one who’s been stripped bare.” He yanks the shorts from my grasp and I hear him scurry around, putting them on. When I think the coast is clear, I part my fingers to see if he’s decent.
I’m met with a very angry stare.

context: jp, kelsey, lottie and huxley attended a hospital charity gala together. kelsey had brought along a date named edwin (🚩🚩), and jp's date for the evening was a woman named genesis (her job is as irrelevant as her appearance in the book). edwin and genesis went to the same college, so they hit it off, and eventually spent the night together. jp took kelsey to lottie and huxley's house (he now lives opposite them), and he complimented kelsey's outfit. then kelsey opened her mouth
So, I release his hand and take a step back. “JP, I’m not going to sleep with you.” The words fly out of my mouth in a flurry, making it clear where I stand.
His compliments, his kindness, aren’t going to factor into my decision.
obviously jp was mad that kelsey thought so little of him, so he went about ignoring her. easy peasey, no? wasn't that what kelsey wanted all along? but nooooo she just had to figure out why jp was mad at her, as if it wasn't so obvious i mean, the man can only tolerate you for so long, ma'am. so, when they're forced to go on a trip to san fransisco and live in the same penthouse together for 2 weeks, kelsey decides that its time for her to return to being the main thought going through jp's mind 24/7, so she bangs on jp's door, he doesn't want to give her the time of day, so she hangs on to his legs like a 4 y/o toddler. but fuck if this line didn't give me a rush-
“Let’s get one thing straight, Kelsey. I’m not here to be friends with you, nor am I here to try to solve any sort of complex you might have about not being liked. I’m here to do a job and I’d prefer you just leave me alone.”


exhibit D: chapter 11
kelsey thinks there's a burglar in the penthouse. because, naturally, burglars make grunting and moaning noises. but our sweet, sheltered, sunflower takes a wooden spoon (even rapunzel had enough braincells to use a pan as a defence utensil) in order to scare said burglar away. there was no burglar. jp was having "man time." kelsey is an embarrassment to society. if you don't believe me, boy do i have proof-
Nope, manned with a wooden spoon—the worst it can do is toss a salad—I slide closer and closer to his room until I hear it . . . a constant pumping sound. Like . . . oh God, like someone is getting stabbed.
[...]
And before I can stop myself, I pull down on the doorknob, then kick the door open and accompany it with a warrior scream that nearly deafens me.
[...]
My eyes land on the bed, where he pops up, completely and utterly naked . . . and holding a pillow in front of his crotch.
[...]
Oh, sweet lord, that was JP jacking off.
[...]
And before I know it, my hand is caressing a very stiff body.
“Ahh,” I yell again, dropping the hand covering my eyes only to find my other hand passing over JP’s nipples. “Oh shit, sorry. That’s your, uh, that’s your man chest. Your nipple. I was just rubbing your nipple. Not on purpose. Not because I wanted to.”

PLEASE KILL ME NOW
kelsey's reasoning was that because she couldn't see the light underneath jp's door, that meant he wasn't at home.
where does this woman get the audacity and what in caucasian is this?

tbh i was done after this, but the next day, i actually went back to see if i could try and get past this trainwreck (BIG MISTAKE), and it was 4 additional pages of jp and kelsey just poking each others nipples.

tl;dr
i have never written such a long negative review before, but this book was honestly really bad, and i am embarrassed i spent time actually reading until chapter 11. this book isn't worth 512 pages, and not even jp's tattoos can save it.
Profile Image for Danielle (The Blonde Likes Books).
644 reviews411 followers
July 1, 2022
I'm rating this one 4.5 stars. Overall, I really loved the book. The plot was nice, and the enemies to lovers aspect of the book wasn't over super quickly, which was nice. Having dual POV really gave great insight into why both characters were acting the way they are, and also led to some really emotional moments throughout the story. I laughed out loud several times, and shed a few tears during some of the more emotional chapters, because I really could feel the pain and angst. This book is longer than most rom-coms, but I enjoyed that because it felt more like a slow burn vs. insta-love. We got to see the characters grow to respect each other, then become friends, and then more. We got to SEE them date and fall in love, rather than just being TOLD that those things happened, which I enjoyed.

The reason I docked .5 stars was because of the conflict. (Spoilers for the conflict coming now) I really felt like it was unnecessary and that

Overall, that was a minor part of the book, and because I loved the rest of it so much, I'm still rounding up to 5 stars! Another winner from Meghan Quinn. I love her work and can't wait to read whatever she writes next!
Profile Image for Jeeves Reads Romance.
1,601 reviews684 followers
Read
June 8, 2022
DNF for now: Not sure if it's my mood or the heroine's personality, but I'm having trouble with this one! And that's a shame, because I loved A Not So Meet Cute and I was really looking forward to this. Rather than struggle through, I'm setting it aside so I can go in fresh on another day.

Side note: The audio is great! It's duet-style (my favorite), and adds a lot of fun to the vibe.
444 reviews2 followers
June 12, 2022
I hated this so much, Kelsey is one of the worst characters I’ve ever read like she is so bitchy and judgemental for no reason whatsoever and she also randomly starts liking him? Like she was tolerating him and all of a sudden she likes him so much? DNF before the miscommunication thing happened because I literally could not take that
Profile Image for grace.
92 reviews647 followers
February 27, 2023
skimmed the last 200 pages bc i was bored i do not recommend this
Profile Image for Dani.
610 reviews200 followers
June 21, 2022
3.5⭐️

Kelsey in this book was quite different than in A Not So Meet Cute. Here she got on my nerves a few times and she was so judgmental towards JP. She hardly knew the man. Yes, he had past conquests, but that's what they were. In the past 🙄 And Kelsey needed to really work on her self-esteem and personal issues because hello miscommunication-in-the-third-act-conflict.

JP was easily my favorite character. He's so sweet and thoughtful and so infatuated with the heroine, it's cute to see him stumble and work for it when she doesn't easily accept him.

I appreciated that this aimed to be a slow-burn, but it could've been 100 pages shorter.
(Kelsey's podcast was such a good idea. I loved seeing Meghan Quinn's past couples. Though I hated that the narrator gave Arlo a Southern accent lmaoo 😭)
Profile Image for Luciana (✿◠‿◠).
96 reviews2 followers
October 13, 2024
No le tenía expectativas, pero las superó. No sé por qué tardé tanto en leer este si el primero me había gustado…

A pesar de que superó mis expectativas, no me fascinó porque la protagonista no me terminó de convencer y también me enojaron algunas actitudes del hermano de JP (el del primer libro). De todas maneras, con respecto a la protagonista, me daba pena y entendía sus inseguridades, así que un poco empatice con ella.
Después está JP que es literalmente lo mejor del libro, su única preocupación era ella y todo lo que hizo para poder estar juntos me dio mucha ternura.

Algo que destaco es que es muy gracioso, recuerdo que el primero también era así.
Profile Image for Aly.
217 reviews80 followers
July 1, 2022
I think at this point I've established I love Meghan Quinn's books. This one was no exception.

This book takes place after the events of A Not So Meet Cute and centers on JP Cane, a wealthy businessman, who falls for his brother's fiancé sister, Kelsey. Kelsey initially wants nothing to do with JP and his playboy ways, but after being forced to spend two weeks in San Francisco together on a work trip, she slowly starts to realize there's more to JP than meets the eye.

Like every good romcom there's the moment that seems to sabotage the building romance. I think though it's this moment that made me give this book 4 stars instead of 5 stars. Kelsey if very upset and breaks things off after she feels like she has been rejected physically by JP and the whole thing is one of those if people just told each other what was happening and what was going on then none of this would of happened moments. Miscommunication drives me crazy y'all.

With that being said let me leave with one of my fav quotes from the book:

"For instance, if I were to label Huxley and Lottie’s romance, I would easily call it ‘enemies to lovers’ since they hated each other, with a smattering of ‘fake fiancée’ and a touch of ‘billionaire.’ All wildly popular.” “Billionaire is a trope?” Both his brows raise now in suspicion. “A very popular one.”

All great tropes :)
Profile Image for Elle G. Reads.
1,660 reviews926 followers
June 18, 2022
So Not Meant to Be is the second book in Meghan Quinn’s Billionaire series (the series isn’t currently titled but it does go with A Not So Meet Cute). Once again, I was laughing out loud through this entire book! Meghan is an absolute QUEEN when it comes to writing stories that are not only funny but have a lot of heart in them too. In this one, readers will get to know JP and Kelsey as they navigate their differences concerning mean and women being able to just be friends. It’s not an easy road for either of them and their banter with each other is laugh out loud funny, but it’s worth it to us readers who enjoy seeing a little vulnerability in characters.

Overall, this is the perfect addition to the series and I’m looking forward to Breaker’s story at some point! I know it’ll be just as good as these two have been!

If you enjoy witty banter, an enemies-to-lovers trope, and characters that warm your heart then I highly recommend reading SO NOT MEANT TO BE!


𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗙𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗢𝗙:
• enemies-to-lovers romances
• Laugh Out Loud Romcoms
• Billionaire Romances
• Books in Kindle Unlimited

𝗠𝗬 𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Profile Image for Destiney Bomberry.
343 reviews2,065 followers
March 5, 2023
4⭐️ 3🌶

If you don’t like two grown adults who had mad miscommunication issues then this won’t be the book for you. HOWEVER …. Me… I let that shit kick me in the face and say thank you. I love miscommunication, gimme gimme gimme. It’s problematic I know, sue me.

Again like a not so meet cute, this book was FUNNY and straight up had me LOLing in my pitch black bedroom at like 2 am.

AND The banter + the tension that this book had was TOP TIER, and I enjoyed every stinking moment of it!!

Don’t even get me started on the spicy scene on the plane, phewwwww she was sweating over here!

Were JP and Kelsey cheesy af somtimes? Yes absolutely. But It was fun, it was cute, sweet and sexy!!!

Frick I can’t wait to jump right into breakers book!!!!
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